RIP

RIP restauro 1024.

This was one of my favorite papers and I regret never making end sheets  with it.

how to hand sew headbands onto a book

Start by cutting a thin strip of vellum backed leather (core) about 2 mm for the headband. Mark the middle of each signature (pages) section with an extended strip of newsprint. Thread needle 1 (yellow) and go in from the center of the first section of the book. You will feel a little recess in where the top kettle stitch is, and will be able to push the needle cleanly through that hole. Tie it to thread 2 (blue). Go through the book with the blue thread just like with the yellow, finding the hole for the kettle stitch and going through it. Create a loop with the blue thread and slide the core (leather strip) through it. Twist the core around 360 degrees so it is entangled and can be propped up along the edge of the spine. Pull the blue thread over the top of the core and around/underneath creating a loop over the top. Do this until you have four threads around the core. The, bring the yellow thread under the core on the left, cross over, and tuck it under the right. This will create a "bead" where the yellow thread presses and contains the blue.

After creating the bed, pull the yellow back down over the top of the core and tuck it into the book on the left. Now pull the blue thread over the yellow and under the core on the right, essentially creating what looks like a smaller bead, pinning the yellow thread. You can then repeat the four loops with the blue thread going over the core and under on the right, and created another bead with the yellow. 

busy bees / dragons

Cleaning house, ploughing edges, picking papers.

Cleaning house, ploughing edges, picking papers.

A Wrecked Tangle Press updates

Things are going really well with the press. We've recently started offering subscriptions (3/$50 one per month via snail mail.

Email for yours : awreckedtangle@gmail.com). We also have work up on the new trickhouse site, curated by the lovely and generous Jen Bervin, www.trickhouse.orgIn addition we are wrapping up two of our largest editions, including a hardcover edition Of An Era that features a hot foil stamped cover made possible by paper dragon studios and the perpetual patience and assistance of Gavin (thank you again).

Quarter leather spines

It has been a crazy busy several weeks and I'm only now catching up enough to post but here are some photos of recent books I have finished. Gavin is starting to teach me to sand leather which is slow work and very frustrating, but worth it for these leather spines!

Sawn in cords

A lesson in sawn in cords. This is a method where a triangle shaped hole is sawn into the spine and cords are inserted and then later frayed and glued down before the book is cased in. 

a few of my favorite things

a little leather dye on the guillotine 

hand painted oil paper